Child carrier



Jan. 18, 1966 D. .1. HERSHMAN 3,229,873

CHILD CARRIER Filed Oct. 23, 1965 Doro-Hm d. Hevshmcm Rodowdm MA Defiw ATTORNEYS appearance.

United States Patent 3,229,373 CHILD CARRIER Dorothy J. Hershman, Old Litchfield Turnpike, Bethany, Conn. Filed Oct. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 318,233 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-6) This invention relates to a child-carrier which is adapted to be worn by an adult or person capable of "carrying the child.

Body-mounted child-carriers have heretofore been proposed but are not known to have achieved any commercial acceptance. The previously known child-carriers have contained various inherent defects in design in that they have not provided proper support for the body of a small child along its back, often have been designed for back-carrying so that the child is not in the view ()f-the carrier, and in many cases have been cumbersome on the carrier and also unpleasing in 4 The-present invention provides a child-carrier arranged to carry the child in front of its mother or other bearer while allowing-freedom of movement of both arms of the bearer. A child-carrier-embodying the invention is arranged so that the weight of the child is primarily pl aced on the shoulders'of the carrier and no undue weight or strain is placed on the back of the carrier.

Another important'feature of the invention is the provision of a child-carrier which provides support for the child completely along the length of the back of the child and simultaneously holds the child close to the front torso of the bearer. A child-carrier embodying the inventionis further arranged so that a child may be easily placed in the carrier or'withdrawn therefrom without removing the carrier from the person of the bearer.

Another feature of a child-carrier embodying this inven- "tion is that it is simple and economical in construction far d may be made quite pleasing in appearance in a multiplicity of colors to match or properly complement the dress of the-bearer.

Accordingly, an object-of this invention is to provide a new and improved child-carrier adapted to be worn on the upper front torso of a bearer and hold the child 'closely to the upper front torso of the bearer.

Another object-of this invention is to provide a new and improved child-carrier which enables the bearer to carry a child and yet have complete arm freedom.

Another object of this invention is to provide anew and improved child-carrier which provides support all along the back of the child and which carries the child 'in front of and primarily above the waist of the bearer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved child-carrier which holds the child in front of the bearer while supporting the child all along the length of its back, and which places the weight of the child primarily on the shoulders of the bearer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved front mounted child carrier in which an infant or child -may be easily inserted and removed.

' "'A further object of this invention is to make a new 3,229,873 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 lowing description taken in conjunction with the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side View of a child-carrier embodying the invention mounted on a bearer and having a child therein;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a child-carrier embodyin the invention mounted on a bearer and having a child therein;

FIG. 3 illustrates details of construction of the back portion of a child-carrier embodying the invention with relation to a bearer; and

FIG. 4 illustrates details of construction of a childcarrier embodying the invention which utilizes an alternate support strap arrangement to that shown in the child-carrier of FIGS. 1 through 3.

A child-carrier embodying the invention, generally indicated by the reference numeral 10, comprises a carrier portion 11 having a belt portion 12 attached thereto and arranged to fit about the waist of a bearer B. The carrier portion 11 is arranged to extend upwardly from the waist towards the shoulders of the bearer so as to provide support for the back of a child C all along the length of the back of the child. Attached to the upper edge of carrier portion 11 are shoulder straps 13 which extend from the upper edge of the carrier 11 over the shoulders of the bearer and to belt portion 12 in back of the bearer. The straps 13 are joined together in the back by a bridging piece 14 which serves to provide the proper spacing between straps l3 and prevent them from becoming twisted.

In accordance with one feature of the invention the carrier portion 11 is provided with an opening 15 running longitudinally thereof to allow placement of a child in the carrier and removal therefrom. Opening 15, while illustrated as extending the length of the carrier portion 11, may only extend partially along the length. Opening 15 is arranged to be closed by any suitable fastening means, here illustrated as snaps 18. It will be understood that hook and eye fasteners, zippers, or buttons, may be utilized.

FIG. 4 illustrates the details of construction of a typical embodiment of the invention. The carrier portion 11 comprises sections 16 and 17 of a suitable material, such as cotton, which are adapted to be joined together at adjacent portions by snaps 18, or other suitable fastening means. The adjacent edges define the opening 15 which facilitates placement and removal of a child in the carrier. To prevent the carrier from cutting the legs or back of the neck of a child the upper and lower edges are padded as shown at 19. This padding or cushioning may be accomplished by rolling the edges of the sections 16 and 17 over a suitable padding material, such as foam rubber, and stitching or otherwise securing the edge of the section 16 or 17 in a manner well known. In FIG. 4 the strap arrangement differs slightly from that shown in FIG. 3 in that the shoulder straps 13 are crossed in the back at 20 and secured together to predetermine the spacing of the straps with relation to one another. It may be noted that padding 21 is mounted on or in the straps 13 at the point where the straps go over the shoulders of the bearer B to prevent the straps cutting into the shoulder of the bearer.

Further in accordance with the invention, the carrier is arranged so that the shoulder straps and belt portions are adjustable to the size of the bearer. Belt portion 12 is provided with hooks 22 at either end thereof and mating eye portions 23 adapted to receive hooks 22. The free ends of the belt portion are arranged to be passed through loops 24 adjacent the bottom edge of carrier portion 11. The hooks 22 may then be inserted in selected eyes 23 dependent upon the Waist measurement of the bearer. In a similar manner the free ends of the straps 13 are provided with hooks ZS'and mating eyes 26. Also, loops 27 are provided adjacent the upper edges of the child-carrier so that the ends of the straps may be inserted therethrough and the hooks :then inserted in selected eyes 26 to adjust the straps to the bearer. Moreover, it is to be understood that the hooks and eyes may be replaced by other adjusting devices such as the well-known adjusting buckles, snaps, etc;

From the foregoing it may be noted that a child-carrier embodying the invention is so arranged that it holds a child in close proximity to the upper torso of the bearer which adds to the sense of security of the child, inasmuch as the bearer in most all case-s is the mother. The carrier portion 11 extends essentially along the total length of the back of the child which is quite important with younger children who do not yet have suflicient muscular development to hold themselves erect. It may further be noted that the arms of the bearer are left free. Alternatively, the bearer may hold the child adjacent the upper torso, in the carrier, in a similar manner that a mother would carry a child if no child-carrier were present.

Another important feature of the invention is that the carrier portion is provided with the opening 15 either completely along its length or along a substantial portion thereof extending from the upper edge, so that the carrier portion may be opened to facilitate placement of a child in the carrier or withdrawal of the vchild from the carrier. In the child-carrier disclosed, the weight of the child is primarily placed on the shoulders of the bearer and there is little tendency for the weight of the child, through the child-carrier, to place a strain or undue pull on the back or waist of the bearer.

A child-carrier embodying the invention does not provide an nnpleasing appearance, and it is very simple and economical in design and construction. It may be made in a variety of colors or materials to complement or to match the clothing of the bearer. Moreover, when a child is removed from'the carrier, the carrier may be very quickly removed from the bearer and folded into a small package. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the carrier may be removed from the bearer merely by nnhooking one end of the belt portion and removing the shoulder straps from the bearer.

The carrier portion 11 and strap arrangement may be made of any suitable material. The carrier portion, while shown as rectangular, may be made in various shapes and styles. However, the carrier portion should have sufficient length to provide support for the upper back of a child.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above,

among those made apparent from the preceding descrip- I tion, are efficiently attained. Since additional embodiments of the invention may occur to others, and in the construction set forth without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A carrier for a child adapted to be worn by a bearer comprising a section of material forming a carrier portion adapted to be positioned on the front of the bearer, a belt portion fastened to said carrier portion on either side thereof and arranged to fit about the waist of the bearer, said carrier portion arranged to extend upwardly on the front torso of a bearer from the belt portion a suflicient distance to support the upper back :of a child therein, and straps extending from the upper edge of said carrier portion to said belt portion and arranged to fit over the shoulders of a bearer so that a child in said carrier Will be held by said carrier against the upper front torso of a bearer, said carrier portion being openable from the top thereof at least a portion of its length toward the bottom thereof to allow entrance and removal of a child from said carrier portion.

2. A carrier for a child adapted to be worn by a bearer comprising a section of material forming a carrier portion adapted to be positioned on the upper front torso of the bearer, support means, said support means being arranged to fit on the back of a bearer, extend about the waist of a bearer and fasten to either side of said carrier portion adjacent the bottom thereof, said support means being further arranged to extend over the shoulders of a bearer and connect to the top of said ,carrier portion, said carrier portion being so dimensioned asto extend upwardly from the waist of a bearer a sufficient distance to support essentially the entire back of a child therein, so that a child therein will be held by said carrier essentially above the waist of the bearer and against the upper front torso of the bearer, said carrier portion defining a closable opening therein to allow entrance and removal of achild from said carrier.

3. A carrier for a child adapted to befworn by a bearer comprisinga section of material forming awarrier portion adapted to be positioned on the upper, front torso of the bearer, support means, said snpportmeans being arranged to fit on the back, of a bearer, extend about the waist of a bearer and fasten to either sideof said carrier portion adjacent the bottom thereof, said support means being further arranged to extend over the shoulders of a bearer and connect to the top of said 1 carrier portion, said carrier portion being so dimensioned as to extend upwardly from the waist of a bearer a suificient distance to support essentially the entire back of a child therein, so that a child therein -will be held by said carrier essentially above the waist of the bearer and against the upper front torso of the bearer, said carrier portion being openable from the top thereof at least a portion of its length toward the bottom thereof to allow entrance and removal of a child from said;

carrier.

4. A carrier for a child adapted to be worn by a bearer comprising a section of material forming a car-,

rier portion adapted to be positionedon the front, of the bearer, a belt portion extending from said carrier por-.

tion arranged to fit about thewaist of the bearer, said carrier portion arranged to extend upwardly on the front torso of the bearer from the waist a sufiicient distance to support essentially the entire back of a child therein, and straps extending from the upper portion of. said carrier portion to said belt portionand arranged to fit over the shoulders of a bearer so that a child insaid carrier will be held by said carrier againstthe upper front torso of a bearer, said carrier portion being openable from the top thereof at least a portion of its length toward the bottom thereof to allow entrance and removal of a child therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner,

HUGO O. SCHULZ, Examiner. A. GRANT, Assistant Examiner, 

2. A CARRIER FOR A CHILD ADAPTED TO BE WORN BY A BEARER COMPRISING A SECTION OF MATERIAL FORMING A CARRIER PORTION ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED ON THE UPPER FRONT TORSO OF THE BEARER, SUPPORT MEANS, SAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING ARRANGED TO FIT ON THE BACK OF A BEARER, EXTEND ABOUT THE WAIST OF A BEARER AND FASTEN TO EITHER SIDE OF SAID CARRIER PORTION ADJACENT THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID SUPPORT MEANS BEING FURTHER ARRANGED TO EXTEND OVER THE SHOULDERS OF A BEARER AND CONNECT TO THE TOP OF SAID CARRIER PORTION, SAID CARRIER PORTION BEING SO DIMENSIONED AS TO EXTEND UPWARDLY FROM THE WAIST OF A BEARER A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE TO SUPPORT ESSENTIALLY THE ENTIRE BACK OF A CHILD THEREIN, SO THAT A CHILD THEREIN WILL BE HELD BY SAID CARRIER ESSENTIALLY ABOVE THE WAIST OF THE BEARER AND AGAINST THE UPPER FRONT TORSO OF THE BEARER, SAID CARRIER PORTION 